Metallic fence post



July 10, 1934. w SOMMER 1,965,994

METALLIC FENCE POST Filed Jan. 2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fri? L 'a' 7 lrscvzn'rma July 10, 1934. w. H. SOMMER 9 1,965,994

METALLIC FENCE POST Filed Jan. 2. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 10,- 1934 PATENT OFFICE) METALLIC FENCE Po s'r William H. Sommer, Peoria, 111., assignor," by mesne assignments, to The National City Bank of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation, and John A. Chapman, trustees Application January 2, 1932, Serial No. 584,354

9 Claims.

This invention has reference to metallic fence posts and it has for its principal object to provide a post of the T rail type with aligned openings or perforations in its web on the neutral axis of the post, which openings are designed to receive the wire fasteners to hold a fence fabric against the post, and to an improved anchor plate and mode of fastening or securing the same to the post. v

The post of my invention is characterized by having a comparatively wide flange and a narrow flange or ball united by a web and the web provlded, throughout the greater portion of its length, with a plurality of aligned and spaced fastener receiving openings or perforations which are disposed along the neutral axis of the post. Locating the fastener receiving openings along the neutral axis of the post will in no wise weaken the post, when subjected to lateral or other strains as would be the case if such openings were oif-set to the neutral axis.

The invention has for a further object to provide an anchor plate from which are stamped or pressed lips which are adapted to have an overlapping engagement with a member of the post, or a flange if the post is so constructed, and in welding certain of said lips to the post and if said post has a web preferably welding said lips to the web along its neutral axis.

In the preferred form of the anchor plate it is provided with aplurality of sets of lips, one each of which is spot welded to the web of the post and the welded lip of each set is in staggered ree lation to the welded lip of the other set or sets. However, these lips may have other arrange: ments and alternately welded and while I prefer to spot weld the lips to the post they may be are welded.

Other and further objects will more fully appear from the following description:

That the invention may be more fully under.- stood, reference is had to the accompanying draw? 'ings forming part of this description, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in

which: Fig. 1 shows an elevation of a metallic fence post with an anchor plate fastened thereto;

3Fig.'2 is an elevation of one side of the post shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan in section of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing in detail how a fence wire is fastened to a post;

Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, showing a preferred anchor plate and the preferred form of the fastenings means for attaching the plate to a post;

Fig. 6 is an edge view, partly in section, showing the assembled securement of the anchor plate to the post, of Fig. 5; 4 6

Fig. 7 is a cross-section as the same would appear on the line 77 Fig. 5; r

Fig. 8 is a cross-section as the same would appear on the line 8-8 Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 5 except that the lips for attaching the anchor plate to the post are shown having a different arrangement than they are in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is an edge view, partly in section, showing the assembled securement of the anchor plate to the post, of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a cross-section as the same would appear on the line 11-11 Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a cross-section as the same would appear on the line 12-l2 Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a View somewhat similar to Figs. 5 and 9 except that the lips for attaching the anchor plate to the post are shown having a different arrangement than they are in Figs. 5 and. 9,

and

Fig. 1-1 is an edge view, partly in section, showing the assembled securement of the anchor plate to the post, of Fig. 13.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

In the drawings, the post shown is characterized as having a comparatively wide flange 1, a narrow flange or 102.112 and a connecting web 3, and is lgnown as a T rail section. Throughout the greater portion of the length of the web and along the neutral axis of the post, there are provided the spaced openings or perforations 4 through which fasteners 5 are inserted f'or attaching fence wires 6 to the post. Locating the fastener receiving openings along the neutral axis of the post will, as has been pointed out, in no wise weaken the post when subjected to lateral or other strains as would be the case if such openings were off-set to the neutral axis.

The anchor plate is designated generally as '7. It is preferably a fiat plate, as shown, so that when applied to a post will lie flat against the flange 1 or other equivalent member of a post, should the post have a different design. lhe plate may have an edge contour of any suitable or desired design.

The plate '7 is stamped, pressed or cut so as to provide outwardly projecting integral lips, by means of which the plate is securely fastened to the post. In Fig. 5 the preferred form and arrangement of these lips are shown. In this instance there are provided several sets of lips, each set comprising a long lip 8 and an opposed short lip 9 and the sets of lips are staggered in their relation to each other so that the lips are alternately long and short lips on opposite sides of the web 3. In Fig. 9 the lips are all long lips ST and they are alternately disposed on opposite sides of the web 3. In Fig. 13 the plate has two sets of lips, arranged in pairs, one long lip 8 and one short lip 9' disposed in alternate arrangement on opposite sides of the web 3.

When assembling the anchor plate and post, be it the plate of Fig. 5, Fig. 9 or Fig. 13, the plate is applied to an end of the post and slid along the flange 1 to its proper attachment position, the lips as they are oppositely disposed guiding the anchor plate along the post and when pressed down in impinging relation against the flange 1 serves to hold the plate on the post. Under ordinary conditions these lips would be effective to hold the plate in a given position on the post, but ordinary conditions do not always prevail, as for instance in certain kinds of soil which may be found to prevail, so that for all around and general use certain or all of the lips are welded to the post and preferably so welded that the weld is at substantially the neutral axis on the web 3. The lips being so arranged and secured hold the anchor plate firmly against endwise movement on the post and laterally thereon and without danger of movement during the driving of the post or removal, regardless of the character or kind of soil.

In Fig. 5 the long lips 8 correspond to and are substantially like the lips 8 shown in Fig. 9 and such lips are shown sufiiciently long so that they are bent to overlie the portions of the flange l and against a portion of the web 3 next adjacent said flange and these lips are preferably spot welded at 10 to the web 3 at the neutral axis of the post. In Fig. 13 the long lips 8' are not bent or formed with angular portions, as are the similar lips shown in Figs. 5 and 9 which lie against the web 3, but terminate substantially at the web, see Fig. 14 and these lips are preferably are welded to the post, as at 10, see Figs. 13 and 14. While I prefer to spot weld the lips of the plate '7 to the post arc welding may be employed if and when it may seem expedient or desirable.

As shown, the anchor plate, being wide at the upper edge has its side and cutting edge tapered or inclined at angle so that they merge into the lower edge of the plate, at the post, and in this way present an effective cutting edge which will adapt the plate to different soils and to pass obstructions when and if any such are encountered.

The fasteners 5 are clips or staples which are passed through the openings 4 in the web of the post and with opposite ends 11 directed over the edges of the flange 1 and about the wires 6 lying across and adjacent the face of the flange 1, in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and l.

I am aware that metallic posts have been made where the fastener receiving openings have been off-set to the neutral axis of the post and in such instances the posts have been materially weakened and they will not stand the strains placed upon them when supporting a fence fabric, but I am not aware that a post which is constructed with a flange and a web has its fastener receiving openings as herein shown substantially along the neutral axis in which arrangement the post is not weakened.-

While I have elected to show my anchor plate construction in association with one kind of a metal post, it is, of course, understood that it is applicable to other posts which have a member portion to which the plate may be applied and its lips secured.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a metallic fence post, and an anchor plate, said plate having sets of stamped out lips adapted for attaching the plate to the post, one lip of each set being longer than the other and the longer lips being welded to the post.

2. An anchor plate for a metallic fence post having sets of stamped out securement lips, one lip of each set being longer than the other.

3. A metallic fence post having a flange and a web, an anchoring member engaged with the outer face of the flange, fastening means carried by the plate and engaging said web, and means for securing the fastening means to said web at substantially the neutral axis of the post.

4. A metallic fence post having a flange and a web, anchoring means engaged with the outer face of the flange and fastening means carried by the anchoring means and engaging said web, said fastening means being welded to the web at substantially the neutral axis of the post.

5. A metallic post having a flange and a web, and an anchor plate having lips engaged with the flange, certain of said lips being welded to the post at substantially the neutral axis of the latter.

6. A metallic post having a flange and a web, an anchor plate having parts engaged about the flange, and means to permanently and rigidly secure said parts to the web at substantially the neutral axis of the post.

'7. A metallic fence post having a flange and a web, an anchor plate engaged with the front face of the flange and having pairs of lips extending rearwardly therefrom and located at points spaced from the top and bottom of the anchor plate, one of each of said pairs of lips being tightly and conformably engaged over a side edge of the flange and over the rear face of the latter so as to fill the angle formed by and between the flange and web'and being spot welded to the web at points along the neutral axis of the post, the other lip of each pair being engaged with the opposite side edge of the flange and with the rear face of the latter.

8. A metallic fence post having a flange and a Web, an anchor plate engaged with the front face of the flange and having pairs of lips extending rearwardly therefrom, one of each of said pairs of lips being tightly and conformably engaged over a side edge of the flange and over the rear face of the latter so as to fill the angle formed by and between the flange and web and being spot welded to the web at points along the neutral axis of the post, the other lip of each pair being engaged with the opposite side edge of the flange and with the rear face of the latter.

9. A metallic fence post having a flange and a web, and an anchor plate, having pairs of lips extending rearwardly therefrom and engaged with the respective side edges of the flange and with the adjacent portions of the rear face of the flange, one lip of each pair having an extension which is spot welded to the web.

WILLIAM H. SOMMER. 

